The Hong Kong Federation of Asian Domestic Workers Unions (FADWU), together with Hong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU), Indonesian Migrant Workers Union (IMWU), Komunitas Migran Indonesia-Hong Kong and Coalition of Migrants' Rights organized a petition in front of the Indonesian consulate in Hong Kong. They gave solidarity support to the current hunger strike in Jakarta, Indonesia . They demand for Indonesia government to adopt domestic workers bill and ratification of International Labour Convention 189, decent work on domestic workers.

National Coordinator of National Network for Domestic Workers Advocacy Lita Anggraini is on Hunger Strike for National Protection of domestic workers in Indonesia. Domestic workers from six cities including Greater Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Medan, Semarang, Lampung and Matarum are taking parallel actions. They demand the Indonesian Government to pass the bill for domestic workers, and to ratify Convention C189, International Labour Convention on Decent Work for Domestic Workers. The Domestic Workers Bill was submitted to Indonesian Council in 2004, however, the government’s delay its responsibility to protect domestic workers. Until now, the law is not yet established.

Indonesia is a country with one of the largest number of domestic workers in Asia. There are 10 million local domestic workers in Indonesia and 6 million migrant domestic workers abroad. Their work has been an integral part of thriving economies in the world. Every day, they work around the clock to send billions of remittance home. Yet, until now, Indonesian domestic workers remain the most exploited, by the employment agencies, bad employers and discriminatory policies and society.

Since the hunger strike action has triggered public concern, the Indonesia government finally put domestic workers bill back onto the table of parliament agenda. However, the hunger strike goes on until today as Indonesia government has taken the bill away for a few times in the past.

The unions and groups are chanting slogan, “Adopt domestic workers Bill!”, “Ratify C189!” in front of the Consulate. The unions and groups handed in a petition letter. In the letter, they express the the demand for adoption of the domestic workers bill and ratification of C189 so that the 1.6 million Indonesian domestic workers can be protected and regulated. They also showed anger for Indonesia government who has forced Jala PRT and domestic workers in Indonesia to use strongest action like hunger strike to press for the demand. They expressed that they will continue to support Jala PRT’s action and fight for adoption of domestic workers bill and ratification of C189 together in solidarity.

We, the undersigned, are domestic workers and labour unions and groups in Hong Kong. We express our protest and indignant to the Indonesian government for failing to give rights and legal protection to its millions of domestic workers.

Indonesia is home to some 16 million domestic workers with 10 million working aboard and 6 million working inside the country. In the absence of any legal protective framework, they have been working without rights and any forms of protections ever since. Those who migrate to work in other countries often suffer double exploitation such as having to pay excessive agency fees and become indebted to the private employment agencies and recruiters which bring them to the countries they work.

To end this exploitation, domestic workers leaders since 2004 have been submitting a domestic workers bill to the government for change. Voices calling for enactment and implementation of the Bill from domestic workers, trade unions and their allies have never ceased in the last 11 years. To our immense surprise and disappointment, on February 9, we learnt that the Indonesian People's Representative Council dropped the Bill on Domestic Workers Rights from the priority list of 2015 National Legislation Programme.

The Council do not put it back not only until a hunger strike organized by Jala PRT, the National Network on Advocacy for Domestic Workers’ Rights, which started on 16 Feb. However, we are not sure if the Minister of Labour commits himself to promote the Bill as well as to ratify the ILO Convention 189 concerning Decent Work for Domestic Workers. It is still worrying if the Indonesian government will keep its promise and the domestic workers bill on the table, so the Jala PRT’s hunger strike still goes on until now.

Sister Lita Anggraini, the coordinator of Jala PRT, has been on indefinite hunger strike since February 16. With this strong action, she and her organization are sending a message of protest on the strongest-possible term to the government and once again, to remind you, your Excellency on the overall JALA PRT’s demands to protect all domestic workers who have been contributing to the national economy of the country since long.

The organizations undersigned, with its members in Hong Kong, strongly support Jala PRT to struggle for legal protection of the millions of domestic workers which are:

To pass the Bill on Domestic Workers Rights and

To ratify the ILO Convention 189 on Decent Work for Domestic Workers, without delay and conditions.

Domestic workers are workers and should be treated like all other workers. It is extremely unfortunate that in your country extreme action such as indefinite hunger strike has to take place to make domestic workers voice heard. We salute to Sister Anggraini for her bold action involving huge personal sacrifice. We will continue to spread our message worldwide and provide her and Jala PRT all the possible support until the demands are met.We look forward to hearing your favourable response.